Julie glared at Rachel, her mouth set in a firm line. "You hit a child? One that didn't even belong to you? What kind of woman are you?"
Rachel puffed out her chest and looked down at Julie. "She'll be my child before long and it's none of your business."
Griffin watched from the corner of the yard. Everything was moving like slow motion in an old television movie. Rachel had spanked Lizzy because she wouldn't eat her carrots. Rachel was screaming at Julie, and Julie was protecting a child that wasn't even hers like a momma cougar. It was all surreal.
"Could you two stop your fighting long enough to tell me if Lizzy is safe?" he yelled.
"Where is Lizzy?" Julie finally asked Annie.
"She rode her pony to the fence and we put it behind the shed. She is hiding in my bedroom. I took her some crackers for breakfast and we've been playing all day but we're hungry. Can we make a sandwich now?" Annie answered innocently.
"Will you please tell her to come out here?" Julie asked.
"Please, Annie," Griffin exhaled loudly. At least his daughter was safe.
Rachel frowned. "That is Lizzy. She's playing some kind of crazy game with you. Are you stupid, woman?"
"Lady, I'm not known for patience, especially when it comes to child abuse, so you'd do well to hush and let me get to the bottom of this," Julie said hotly.
In spite of the hundred-plus-degree weather Rachel wrapped her arms around her body to stave off a chill. That sawed-off filthy woman looked as if she was about to wield that hoe like a lance in her direction.
Lizzy stepped out of the door and reached for Annie's hand. "Hi Daddy. I don't like her and she hit me."
Rachel stared blankly at the two little girls. "There's two of them? Griffin, you've got some explaining to do." She turned on him.
"Lizzy, why did you run away?" Griffin asked.
Lizzy's chin quivered. "Because she was going to keep me today and I don't like carrots, and she said I was spoiled and I don't like her and she already spanked me and she might hit me again."
"Griffin Luckadeau, I cannot believe you let that bitch hit your child. I'm calling child protective services." Julie joined the girls on the porch.
"Don't you threaten us," Rachel said.
"Settle down, both of you. To hell with it. Call the damn cops. Let them put me in jail. I'm coming onto your property," he said as he plowed across the yard.
"I never said you couldn't come on my property. I don't have a restraining order on anyone. But that woman better get off my land. I won't need a restraining order if she doesn't because I'm taking care of it myself." Julie turned her attention to Griffin and away from Rachel.
That gave Rachel enough time to hurry to the safety of her car.
Griffin gathered Lizzy into his arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."
His phone rang in the middle of the hugging. "Hello?"
"Did you find her? Is she all right?" Marita asked.
"She's right here at Edna's old place and she's fine. I'm bringing her home now," he said.
"I'm not going home," Lizzy said. "Not 'til Nana Rita gets there. She won't let her be mean to me."
Rachel rolled down the window but kept her finger on the button. There was no telling what that insane woman might do. "Griffin, you've got to take that kid in hand. She's playing you. I only swatted her twice and she deserved it."
"We'll talk later," he said.
Lizzy's eyes grew wide. "Don't make me stay with her no more."
"Rachel won't be coming back to the ranch. Now let's go home," Griffin reassured her.
"Not ever. You promise?" Lizzy asked.
Griffin headed toward the truck. "I promise."
Annie set up a sobbing howl. "But she's my friend. You can't take her away."
Lizzy began to cry right along with her. "Daddy, Annie is my friend. Can she come home with me?"
Griffin looked at Julie. Her curly red hair was wet with sweat, her bare feet filthy, her cut-off jeans bleach stained, and her T-shirt had holes in it. Honest to God, he'd never seen the woman before Lizzy's first day of school, and he would definitely remember her if he had. A man would have to be stone blind, stupid, or both to forget someone like Julie Donavan.
"If I leave now, it's over," Rachel yelled.
"I am a father. You've known that since day one," Griffin raised his voice above the din enough that she could hear him.
Rachel rolled up the window and sped away, leaving nothing but a puff of road dust in her wake.
"You really don't remember me?" Julie asked from the porch.
"Sure I remember you. You are Lizzy's teacher and you were at church last Sunday. I don't know what you're talking about 'growing my hair' back. It's been like this since I was a kid."
She sat down on the porch. "Did you get amnesia in Iraq?"
He was busy putting Lizzy in the passenger's seat and shutting the door. When she said Iraq, he jerked his head around and frowned. "I never went to Iraq."
Julie's green eyes locked with his blue ones and the distance across the yard disappeared. "Then the uniform was a hoax to pick up women?"
Griffin stopped. "Six years ago my identical twin brother went to Iraq. He was killed two days after he got there. Are you mistaking me for Graham?"
"Holy shit. Two of you?" Julie whispered. Now it made sense. No wonder Griffin didn't recognize her.
"Yes, ma'am. Graham always was attracted to white trash redheads. You thought I was Graham, and you've come back here to lay claim to your kid's share of the Lucky Clover, haven't you? Well, honey, you've got a surprise in store. It ain't happenin'," he said with enough chill in his voice to drop the temperature forty degrees.
"Mr. Luckadeau, until this moment I had no idea that there were two of you and had I known, I damn sure wouldn't have taken a job in Saint Jo. You leave me and my child alone. I don't want a damn thing you've got," Julie declared.
Tears dripped down Annie's face. "Don't be mad at Lizzy's daddy. Lizzy is my friend. We traded kittens so we can be friends. I want her to come and play with me."
Lizzy leaned out the truck window and pointed toward the porch. "I want Annie to be my friend. You can't take her away from me."
Griffin threw up his hands. "Good God, what are we going to do?"
"Right now you are taking Lizzy home, and I'm taking Annie inside to eat lunch. We'll sort this out another day. I've had about all I can stand for this one."
"She can come back and play, can't she Momma?" Annie sobbed.
"Lizzy is welcome in this house anytime she wants to come," Julie said.
Annie stopped crying and waved at Lizzy, who had settled back down in the truck.
Griffin drove away and Julie sat down on the porch with a heavy thud. She propped her elbows on her knees. Lizzy was welcome at her house, but she'd be damned to hell for all eternity if she ever gave Annie permission to go to Lizzy's house. She didn't give a damn if Griffin or— what was his brother's name?— Graham were as rich as Midas or if they lived in a tent on the banks of the Red River.
Graham? That was Annie's biological father, and he'd been killed a few days after that motel night. Julie didn't believe in fate. You made your own way in life; accepted the consequences for your own mistakes; gathered laurels for your victories. But if it wasn't fate meddling in her life then how in the hell did she get pregnant on a rebellious one-night stand and wind up six years later living next door to the man's twin brother? That was too much to chalk up to coincidence.
"Why?" she muttered.
"Because I wanted a black and white kitten and Lizzy wanted a yellow one," Annie answered.
*********
Lizzy ran into the house and straight into Nana Rita's arms. "I ran away but it's all better now acause Daddy said that Rachel won't be coming back to the ranch. She won't spank me no more. Annie's momma called her a bitch and said she was going to whip her ass."
Marita looked up at Griffin for an explanation.
He rolled his eyes
.
"Those are naughty words," he said to Lizzy.
Lizzy went right on talking. "We traded kittens and Annie has got a black and white one. And I played in her room today with her Barbie dolls. I'm hungry now. Can I have a sandwich?"
"Griffin?" Marita raised a black eyebrow.
"It's a mess. One big hellacious mess. This lady…"
Lizzy piped up. "She's not a lady. She's red-haired white trash and she's my teacher and I'm going to grow up and be just like her and she called Rachel a bitch and told her not to hit me no more."
"Lizzy, it's my turn to talk and your turn to be quiet. As I was saying," Griffin said, "the lady who bought the old Lassiter place is Lizzy's new friend's mother and her teacher."
Lizzy followed Marita to the kitchen and crawled up on a chair on the other side of the island in the middle of the floor. "Rachel screamed at Annie acause she thought she was me and Rachel is mad at Daddy now."
"I imagine she is," Marita smiled.
"There's a bigger problem over there," Griffin said. "Can you make a couple of sandwiches for me? I missed dinner because I was trying to find this runaway kid. Lizzy, don't you ever, ever do that again. And no matter where you go on this ranch, you take that phone with you. Your punishment for running away is that you can't ride your pony for a month and you can't leave the yard for a whole week. Is that understood? And I don't want to hear dirty words coming out of your pretty mouth again."
She nodded seriously. "Then Annie will have to come play with me since I can't go play with her. Did you get her phone number so I can call her up and tell her that?"
"I did not," he said. His world was listing to one side and he wondered if it'd ever be right again.
"Her mother's name is Julie Donavan. Just call the 'perator on the phone and ask her for the number," Lizzy said.
"I think you've had enough excitement for one day. We certainly have." Marita said.
"I expect you want to talk to me without little corn's big ears?" Griffin said.
Marita nodded. "Bring your sandwich to the back yard and I'll clean up this mess your woman left behind after we talk. Next time I'll take Lizzy with me. It's less trouble than having a heart attack or cleaning up after a messy cook," she fussed.
"I want to go, too," Lizzy said.
"You eat your sandwich right here at the bar, young lady, and then you're going to put on your bathing suit and play in your little pool where I can see you all the time," Marita said.
When they got to the backyard Griffin was glad to sit and let the adrenaline settle down. He bit off a chunk of sandwich and chewed slowly. Too much had happened too fast. His nerves were frayed worse than the hem line of that Donavan woman's shorts. She had been a sight wielding that hoe like a weapon and screaming like a momma mountain lion protecting her young.
Marita sat in a lawn chair beside him. "Talk."
"Our new neighbor appears to be someone Graham met and slept with just before he went to Iraq. That's why that little girl looks so much like Lizzy. They really could be twins but oh, my God, I just realized they are cousins. Lizzy is a little taller. Annie's face is a bit rounder. She's Graham's daughter. DNA couldn't prove it any better. Graham always was attracted to low class, red-haired women. She's not fooling me, Marita. She might be a schoolteacher and go to church, but by damn, she's white trash."
"Maybe she was just as shocked as you were when she found out she was living in the same area as a Luckadeau. Ever think about giving her the benefit of the doubt?"
"Hell, no! She's like all women. Out for what they can get. Look what Dian did. There's no other reason why she'd move to Saint Jo. She's here because she's finally figured out who Graham was and what he was worth," he said.
"You been burned, son, but that's unfair. We're not all like that," Marita huffed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean you."
"Apology accepted. Now what makes you think she's white trash?"
"Look at that place. No one who had any dignity would buy it or live there. Besides, she was filthy," Griffin said.
"What had she been doing?"
"Hell, I don't know what she was doing. She came around the house with a hoe in her hand like she was going to kill me with the damned thing. Then she started yelling and Rachel showed up and they were both yelling and Annie was refusing to get Lizzy and then Lizzy came out and there was another big fight. It was worse than a three-ring circus on Jerry Springer. I thought Rachel and Julie were going to duke it out right there in the yard," he said. No way was he about to admit that he'd been attracted to the schoolteacher even when she was a sweaty mess.
Marita laughed so hard her face hurt. "I would love to have seen that."
"It wasn't pretty," Griffin said, a smile finally tickling the corners of his mouth.
"Who gives a hoot? It would have been a beautiful sight to me because it got rid of that woman who's been snowballing you for six months. How big is this redhead?"
"Little ole bitty thing. She might weigh a hundred and twenty soaking wet and she was sweating like a boar hog. I was glad I was upwind from her. She looked like she would have smelled horrible," Griffin said.
"She must have a dose of Irish in her with a temper like that, plowing into a big old horse of a woman when she's that little. It would have been a hoot to see Rachel get her ass whooped by a little woman. And she was carrying a hoe? Must be a working woman, huh? I bet she'd been weeding the garden in the backyard. What set her off and made her so mad?"
Griffin rubbed his aching forehead with the palm of his hand. "After me, it was the idea that Rachel had whipped Lizzy. She threatened to call the Department of Human Services."
Marita pointed her finger at Griffin. "Let me tell you, if that woman ever touches Lizzy again, Julie Donavan won't have to call the authorities. I'll take care of her myself. Now why is it that she's white trash, again?"
"Because in order for her to have Graham's daughter she had to have been with him at least one time. He left here for Dallas and left Dallas the next day for Iraq. She must be a prostitute or a one-night stand. The only difference is that one gets paid and the other gives it away."
Marita started back into the house. "She's raising her daughter and has a responsible job. Sounds like she'd fight a circle saw for her child or yours. Your wife left her child and hasn't been back to see her since, don't even care enough to call on her birthday or send a Christmas present. Who's the whore and who's the good mother? You best be rethinkin' your judgment, son."
Griffin threw up his hands in defeat. "This has been a day from hell. I'm going to the field to sort it all out."
"Might be a good idea," Marita threw over her shoulder.
Chapter 4
A BREEZE BLEW ACROSS THE PORCH AS JULIE AND ANNIE waited for Mamie. Like most five-year-old kids, Annie couldn't be still with the excitement of going to her first rodeo. Finally, they heard a car and Annie ran to the edge of the yard to look up the road.
"It's her! I know it's her and now we can go," Annie said.
Mamie came to a stop without turning into the driveway and waved at Annie.
"Buckle up, cowgirls. We're on our way to the big Chisholm Trail Rodeo," she called.
Julie fastened Annie's belt in the backseat before she opened the door on the passenger side of the car.
"Why do they call it all that, and do men really really ride on the backs of bulls?" Annie asked.
"The Chisholm Trail came through here from San Antonio through Fort Worth and right up 81 through Oklahoma. That's why they call it the Chisholm Trail Rodeo. Anyway, the trail had feeder trails and the folks who came through Saint Jo back then stopped and watered the herd and the men at the square. It's all part of the local history," Mamie explained. "Which reminds me. That deal about the winter festival that we had to postpone has been rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. It's the only time Clarice and Everett can work it into their schedules. I'm sure they're hoping that no one will take time out on Sunday, and they'll vote the idea down
."
"I'll be there," Julie said. "Might as well dive right in and get in the middle of the town's arguments. Nothing like being on the wrong side to get me fired next year."
"You ain't gettin' fired, girl. Mrs. Amos runs the school and she told me you're doin' a fine job."
"The school board has something to say about that," Julie said.
"Maybe so, but not a one of them wants to see Mrs. Amos turn in her resignation. If she likes you, darlin', you won't be gettin' a pink slip."
Getting Lucky Page 6